4.2 “Combating domestic violence against women” –Recommendation 260 (2009) of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of EuropeDraft reply

Item to be prepared by the GR-J in co-operation with the TC-ET at its meeting on 19 November 2009

To facilitate discussions during the GR-J meeting, delegations are invited to submit any comments or proposed amendments on this text in writing to the Committee of Ministers’ Secretariat (ulrika.flodin-janson@coe.int) by 30 October 2009 at 1.00 p.m.

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1. The Committee of Ministers has taken due note of Recommendation 260 (2009) on "Combating domestic violence against women" of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe. It has brought this recommendation to the attention of the governments of the member states and has communicated it to the different committees competent in this area.2

2. It is aware of the Council of Europe's pioneering role in promoting the fight against domestic violence in Europe and welcomes the concrete action taken in this field by all the relevant actors in the framework of the Council of Europe Campaign to combat violence against women, including domestic violence. The Committee of Ministers acknowledges the commitment of the Congress in favour of the fight against violence against women and its active contribution to the campaign.

3. It is in the light of the results of this campaign, the work of the Task Force on violence against women, including domestic violence and the conclusions of the 27th Council of Europe Conference of Ministers of Justice, held in October 2006 in Yerevan (Armenia), that the Committee of Ministers decided to instruct the Ad hoc Committee on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (CAHVIO) to develop a binding legal framework to support action taken by the Council of Europe in the area in question. The Congress is invited to participate in the work of this committee.

4. In this respect, and referring to the measures to combat domestic violence against women that the Congress has defined in its recommendation, the Committee of Ministers observes, in the light of the interim report presented by the CAHVIO at the end of its first two meetings, that the approaches recommended by the Congress have been duly taken into account in the preparatory work carried out by this committee.

1 This document has been classified restricted at the date of issue; it will be declassified in accordance with Resolution Res(2001)6 on access to Council of Europe documents.

2 Steering Committee for Equality between Women and Men (CDEG), European Committee on Crime Problems (CDPC) and Ad hoc Committee on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (CAHVIO).